Disclaimer:
The only thing I own is the idea for this fanfic, which is not intended for profit.Notes:
I'd like to thank (as you know him) ObsidianX for giving me this idea a long time ago. This was a fanfic I never got around to finishing, but decided to give it another try. I hope to finish this sometime soon, but am busy and it will probably be put on the back burner while I work on some of my other (CCS) fanfics. Even though I support AAMR, this fanfic also has a lot of BAMR, and may end up kind of sad/dark. If you want to know, Ash and Misty have been married for a year now. They are both 24 now, and live in Cerulean City. Brock is now 27, single, and still lives in Pewter, running the gym along with some of his siblings.*****************************************************************
Regrets
Chapter One:
"Ring ring ring, ring ring ring, phone call!"
Twenty-seven-year old Brock Slate yawned sleepily, turning over to look at the clock on his dresser. It was close to five in the morning; 'Who would be calling at such an early hour?' he wondered. Sighing, Brock narrowed his eyes and pushed a button, silencing the annoying voice of the ringing videophone. Misty's angry tear streaked face appeared on the screen. Brock's expression became serious as he instantly sat up.
"Misty?! What's going on?" he cried in alarm.
"HeleftthatbastardwhilesleepingnowGazellekill!"
"Slow down Mist', I can't understand you."
She stopped and took a deep breath as if to calm herself down. "I begged Ash not to go to that stupid Masters convention with that skank Gazelle, after all this weekend is our one year anniversary! He promised he would stay, but he packed up and left while I was sleeping! All he left was a note saying he was sorry but it was too important to miss."
"Oh… Misty, I'm sorry, I know how long it took for you to plan everything and how much you were looking forward to this weekend. I tried to convince him to stay…"
"I know… thanks." She was silent for a moment before her face crumbled and she began to cry. "Oh Brock, how could he? Ash is always travelling or battling, and it's like he rarely ever comes home. To make things worse he spends a lot of time with Gazelle, who might I add wants to get in his pants and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Our marriage has been rather rocky these past months; we got into a huge fight before he left. Now he's gone and made everything worse, and I don't know what to do."
Brock, surprised at her sudden outburst, felt his heart reach out to her with sympathy. "Ash loves you very much and you know that. It's just that his position in the Elite Four is very important and time consuming."
Misty sniffed, "I know you're right… I just feel so… so alone."
"You shouldn't feel that way, you will always have Ash, Tracey and I, and all your family and other friends. Listen Misty; I'll go get dressed then see if Billy can take over the gym for awhile. I should be there around noon today."
"It's much too– "
"See you then," Brock said firmly, hanging up before she could refuse.
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At the sound of a car pulling into her driveway, Misty leapt from her seat and rushed out the door. "Brock!" A bright smile lit her face as she wrapped the older man into a warm hug.
"Wow… Mist', it's so good to see you."
"Likewise. You didn't have to come all this way."
"What kind of friend would I be if I hadn't? Besides, it was only a six hour or so drive."
She gave a small laugh, "Only six? Why if I had known that, I'd expect you here every day."
They finally let go and studied each other, both not having seen the other in person since Ash and Misty's wedding. Brock frowned at the tired dark circles below her eyes, her red swollen cheeks and the unusual messy state her general appearance was in.
"Look at you, you're a wreck!"
Her smile faded, "I couldn't seem to get back to sleep after I found the note and called you… Too much on my mind I guess."
"Maybe you're just overreacting a bit, you could be upset over nothing. I think everything between you and Ash will be perfect again once he comes home."
'Right. Perfect like a fairy tale,' she thought bitterly, 'If only there were such a thing as a happy ending.' Misty sighed, "Maybe you're right… please come inside so we can talk."
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Misty smiled in content as she and Brock sat in companionable silence. Her mind wandered back over the past few hours…
She had given Brock a tour of the new house she and Ash shared just a few streets down from the Cerulean Gym. Misty had taken a shower, changed and fixed her hair while Brock skillfully made and packed a lunch for the both of them. They had walked to one of Misty's favorite spots and set up a little blanket to have a nice picnic. She had been surprised to realize how much she missed Brock's company and wonderful cooking. They had ate, told stories of what they had been doing the past year, and recalled countless memories of the trios travels as young teens. Now they sat for a few minutes, Misty resting her head on his broad shoulder as if it were as natural as shaking hands, simply enjoying their peaceful surroundings.
Brock's voice was full of awe, "How did you ever find this spot? It's truly amazing!"
"This is where Ash and I…" she trailed off biting her lip, looking ready to cry again.
"I shouldn't have asked, please don't cry. I didn't want to ruin your mood by reminding you of your problems with him." Concerned, Brock pulled her closer trying to comfort her.
She wiped away the forming tears, trying to shove all thoughts of Ash away. "Don't worry, it's alright… Thank you so much."
Brock blinked and looked at her feeling somewhat confused. "For what?"
"For coming here to cheer me up; for being there when I needed you."
"No need to thank me Mist', I'll always be here for you."
She smiled, turning her face towards him, "As I will be for you, Brock."
The glow of the sunset lit Misty's pretty face and long red hair perfectly. Their faces had unknowingly moved so close together, now almost touching. He knew he shouldn't, but before Brock could stop himself, he broke the short distance between them.
Their lips met for the first time in all the years of their friendship. Misty hesitated in shock and guilt before returning his passionate kiss. She lost control of herself, running her fingers through his hair as he held her tightly in his strong arms.
From above them a pidgey squawked loudly. Misty's eyes snapped open and she pulled away standing up as she realized what had just happened. "Brock, I – "
Brock got to his feet and put a gentle finger on her lips to stop her. "Ash is my best friend and I don't want to hurt him, but I don't regret it, and I can only hope you don't either… I can't hold it back any longer," he took both of her hands in his, "Misty, the truth is I love you. I loved you ever since we were kids, and I continued to do so even after you got married. I've tried to ignore it, after all, you and Ash were and still are together and I never stood a chance. I've been dreaming of that kiss for a long time, and it was far more beautiful than I could have ever imagined."
Misty blushed furiously, her head swarming with confusion as she stared away from Brock's intense gaze. She knew it was wrong, her stomach turned guiltily at the fluttery feelings she got when she thought about him. She only loved Ash; Brock had never been anything more than a friend… hadn't he?
"I… I have no idea what to say…"
His expression grew even more serious, "Just tell me how you feel."
Misty's blue eyes shimmered, "Everything has been so complicated with Ash. He's never home, and when he is we don't spend too much time together. We always seem to be fighting with each other, even more than usual. You… well you make me feel so fantastic and happy. I've had so much fun with you this afternoon, but…"
Brock gently lifted her chin; "I don't want to pressure you Misty. Follow your heart."
His warm touch made her want to melt, the kiss still lingered, leaving her lips tingling. She felt so confused and strange, but as he continued to look deep into her eyes, she knew her answer. "My heart… my heart says you," she murmured dreamily, once again stepping close to him.
Brock smiled delighted as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, lifting her in the air. He whirled her in a half spin, her toes no longer touching the ground. Misty's heart raced as they stopped and kissed again, this time even softer and heartfelt than the first. As a wonderful sensation spread over her, Misty completely forgot about everything else, including that she was married and still very much in love with Ash Ketchum.
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